'CSI' star fronts new PETA veggie campaign

Jorja Fox wants you to 'investigate vegetarianism.'

Best known for her role as Sara Sidle in the hit CBS drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," Jorja Fox has also made a name for herself as one of the more passionate animal rights advocates in Hollywood.

A committed vegetarian since age 19, the 43-year-old has been actively involved with PETA, landing annually on the organization's nominee list for "World's Sexiest Vegetarian." Last weekend, she unveiled her new pro-vegetarian ad for the animal rights organization at Fort Lauderdale's gourmet vegan restaurant, Sublime.

"I was having a meatball sub one day in Brooklyn, and it just clicked," she said of her decision to drop meat. "I was in the middle of that sandwich, and I put it down, and I never had meat again."

The ad, which features Fox standing over the chalk outline of a cow, encourages people to adopt a more animal-friendly lifestyle. "Every year, 27 billion animals are killed in the U.S. for food," it reads. "Join me in helping to lower this number."

During a 2008 interview on her involvement with Farm Sanctuary, a charity that rescues abused or neglected animals, Fox urged people to reconnect with the faces behind their food.

"If you can spend a little time with these creatures, you can connect them again to animals that you love, which I think helps everybody remember the importance of treating them humanely and with dignity," she said. "These are, you know, the lucky animals that have fallen off the backs of trucks and stuff. If you want to help the environment, go vegetarian.”